Downcomer.



ARTHUR Gr. OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

DOWNCOMER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 11, 19 19.

Application filed. May 5, 1917. Serial No. 166,702.

the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

My invention relates to furnace constructions and particularly to the construction of the downcomers thereof. More particularly, my invention relates to such a construction of the downcomers as will provide means for preventing much of the heavy material, such as coke and limestone and the coarse particles of ore, being carried off from the furnace with the gases, thus preventing the escape of much of the material whose loss would cause the furnace to become cold when it slips and also obviating much of the cleaning which must be done in the dust collector. Means are provided whereby the material is trapped and then returned by gravity to the furnace.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of various, mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

Figure 1 represents a vertical axial section through my improved downcomer, showing the same in relation to a furnace top; Fig. 2 is a vertical section and elevation taken in the planes indicated by the lines 2-2 and II-ILFig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken in the plane indicated by the lines 3 3, Fig. 1.

Referring to the annexed drawing, a suggestion of a furnace top is shown at 1 to which is connected by a collar 2 my improved downcomer consisting of an upwardly extending construction comprising a steep. sloping outlet 3- 1 from the furnace and an upwardly extending outlet 4 from member 4; a downwardly extending part comprising a filler 7 and a conductor 8 leading to the dust collector; and intermediate connections comprising a T 5 and an elbow 6. It will be noticed that the upwardly extending outlet 4 intersects the main wall 4 of the member 1 below the upper end thereof and at an obtuse angle so that a passage X-X greater in area than the normal area Y-Y of the downcomer passage is provided between said member a and said outlet 4: as also a pocket adjacently to said upper end and back of a baffling member, hereinafter mentioned, out of the current of the issuing gases. lhe members 4 and 4: might as well be so con structed as to extend the area designated by X-X up to the head 12, hereinafter mentioned, in which event the upper wall of the pocket would be a plainer surface. A portion of said enlarged area XX is, however, cut off from the pathway of the gases through the downcomer by means of a deflector or baffling member 9 suspended within the upper part of the outlet 4' by means of a flange 9 disposed between an upper flange 4 of the outlet 4, and a lower flange 5 of the T5, said flanges 4: and 5' being secured together by bolts 10 outside of the periphery of flange 9. Said deflector 9 is of the construction shown plainly in the annexed drawing, being formed, in addition to the flange 9, with lateral edges 9 disposed substantially parallel with the wall of the outlet 4, and with a bottom edge 9 of the half elliptical shape shown in Fig. 3, whereby the deflector 9 restricts the effective area of the passage X-X between the members 4 and i to about the average area Y-Y of the downcomer passage or to about the area of the passage ZZ through the top of the deflector 9. Heads 11 and 12, respectively, for closing the top of the T 5 and the upper end of the member 4 are provided, as plainly shown in Fig. 1.

It is apparent from the foregoing description that the heavy particles such as coke and limestone and the coarse particles of ore carried by the gases discharged from the furnace and which do not turn short enough to go into the outlet 4, and are carried past the bottom of deflector 9, will be projected against the head 12 of the member d and in back of the baffling member or deflector 9 out of the gas current and will drop to the bottom of the sloping member 4 and by gravity will slide down to the bottom of the outlet 34t back into the furnace. Some part of the lighter solid materials, such as considerable of the ore will, of course, be carried off with the gases but for the most part the solid material, especially the coke and limestone and the large parti- The imiproved construction shown and .7 descrlbed has worked out extremely well in practice, so that when the furnace slips, an occurrence which has usually resulted in the furnace becoming cold, it is now found I to be hot and liniy which is a highly favorable condition and shows that this construction, While it does not catch any considerable quantity of the fine ore, does prevent loss of coke and limestone, which are normally coarser than the ore, and the large particles of ore, by intercepting them in their exit from the furnace and returning them quickly thereto.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a furnace; of a downcomer construction comprising an inclinedupward portion from the furnace and a portion bent sharply upwardly intersecting said inclined portion, the connnunicating opening between said two portions being spaced from the top of said inclined portion,

the latter being-closed except for its communicating openings with the furnace. and with said sharply upwardly bent portion, whereby particles detrained in said space and falling to the floor of said inclined portion will be returned to the furnace.

. 2. The combination with a furnace; of a downcomer construction comprising an inclined upward outlet from the furnace provided with a closed upper end and an outlet bent sharply upwardly intersecting said firstmentioned outlet, a pocket, open to said inclined outlet and thence into the furnace, into which heavier particles are projected being provided intermediately said closed end and the intersection of said outlets.

3. The combination with a furnace top; of

a downcomer construction comprising a steep upward outlet from said top formed with a sharp bend, and means disposed in said outlet adjacently to said bend adapted to detrain particles from the passing gases to the inclined floor of the outlet whence they are returned to the furnace.

4. The combination with the furnace; of a downcomer construction comprising a sloping outlet from the furnace, an upwardly extending outlet from said sloping outlet, and a battle partially closing said last-named outlet.

5. The combination with the furnace; of a downcomer construction comprising a sloping outlet from the furnace, an upwardly extending outlet from said sloping outlet and of a cross-sectional area larger than said first-mentioned outlet, and a bathe disposed within said last-mentioned outlet and restrictingthecross-sectional area thereof to substantially that of said sloping outlet.

a trained by saidbaffle into-said pocket,

whence they are returned-to the furnace.

7. The combinationiwith a furnace-;.of a I downcomer construction comprising a steep portion from the furnace, an upwardly extending portion intersecting said. first-mentioned p0I'i',lO11, l l1e construction beingisuch that a communicating opening therebetween.

of cross-sectional area larger'than that of said first-mentioned portion is created, and

a bafiie disposed within said last-mentioned.

portion and restricting the effective crosssectional area of said opening to substantially that of said first-mentioned portion.

8. The combination with the furnace; of a downcomenconstruction comprising a steep portion adjacent to the furnace, a portion bent sharplyupwardly, a deflectonand. a pocket formed adjacentlyto the upper end of said steep portionand backof said defiector to receive detrained particles and return them to the furnace.

9. The combination with the furnace of a closed upper end, an upwardly extending outlet from said sloping outlet located below said closedend, and a baflie partially closing said upwardly extending outlet, a pocket I into which heavier particles are projectedthus being formed back of said baflie and in said sloping outlet beyond the vertical plane intersecting the bottom of said baffle.

10. In constructions of the character described, an element comprising an annular suspending memberforr'ned integrally with a downwardly projecting, inwardly inclined baffling surface. 1

11. In constructions of the character described, a deflecting element comprising a downwardly projecting, inwardly inclined curved wall formed with vertical side edges.

12. In constructions of the character described, a deflecting element comprising a downwardly projecting, inwardly inclined curved wall formed with side edges and ,a half elliptical bottom edge.

Signed by me, this 21 day of April,-l917.

ARTHUR e. McKEE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

